Remembering the horror of 9/11

‘A man who kills a man, kills a man. A man who kills himself, kills all others, as far as he is concerned.' G.K.Chesterton

Here is my own memory of that day, and I join with many others whose sentiments should be, "Never Again". Eight years have past... but take a minute to remember those who lost and sacrificed their lives. I will never forget the horrific smell that hung over the city for weeks after the attack and the makeshift shrines on every block. I was there at 222 Broadway... Watched it all from way too close and I have suffered what I witnessed and felt there. It looked like a Hollywood movie and was hard to believe it was real. Everyone in the city demonstrated an incredibly potent spirit of selflessness and common cause. New York City is an example for the entire world for its resilience. It is an unwavering part of the state. I still admire New Yorkers for their bravery, dignity, and courage in the face of the horrors inflicted upon them after 9-11. As a former resident of the city, and a New Yorker in my heart always, to all the families still in pain my deepest sympathies. But I will never forgive the Bush administration from taking that away from them and turning it into a political tool for achieving their foreign policy agenda.

The New Yorkers I know were free of vengeance and certainly free of fear. As FDR said "we have nothing to fear but fear itself". Why should be afraid? We had already survived, if only by being extremely lucky. The task at hand was to get up and live, because living well was and always will be the best revenge.